Former PM Alexander Stubb Wins Finland Presidential Elections

Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb clinched a comfortable victory in the presidential election run-off against ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto to become Finland’s next president after a seven year hiatus. 

Stubb will now take over the task of guiding the Nordic country's foreign and security policy now that it's a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As widely claimed, the former leader of National Conservative Party's bid for the president's office was promted by the Russia-Ukraine war. 

With all votes counted on Sunday, Stubb of the National Coalition Party had 51.6 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Haavisto from the green left got 48.4 percent of the votes. Initial voter turnout was 70.7 percent, claimed officials. 

Stubb, who started his political career as a lawmaker at the European Parliament in 2004, won the first round on January 28 with 27.2 percent of the vote ahead of Haavisto with 25.8 percent. He has also led Haavisto in surveys, most recently by 6-8 percentage points.

Notably, the change of guard marks new era in Finland, which for long elected presidents to bolster diplomacy.